Automatic switch for traction-lines.



F. RICE. AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR TRACTION LINES.

APILIOATION FILED APRI L, 1909.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

BEE;

'CO-LUMB-IA PLANOORAPH CO.,WASHINGTUNI D, C.

FRANKLIN RICE, or DAYTON, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR TRACTION-LINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

Application filed April 14, 1909. Serial No. 489,881.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN RICE, a citizen of the United States,residing in Dayton, county of Montgomery, State" of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches forTraction-Lines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification.

My invention relates to that certain novel construction and arrangementof parts to be hereinafter particularly pointed out and claimed, wherebythe shiftlng of the switch point in the switching of traction cars fromone track to another may be performed antoma-tically by the car as itapproaches the switch, and under the control of the motorman, withoutstopping the car.

The switch point is shifted by the action of a solenoid directlyconnected to the switch point, and the current is supplied to thesolenoid from contact boxes located a convenient distance from theswitch point, with which boxes a contact plate on the car connects, thecontact plate, normally disconnected, being so wired that the motormancan switch on the current to actuate the solenoid when contact is madeas the switch is approached.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, cheap and efi'ectiveconstruction which can be readily and easily applied to the car andlocated in the street, and in which the solenoid shall be completelyprotected from any liability to damage or deterioration from dampness orthe accumulation of water.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the main lineand branch of a traction line with my improved device applied thereto.Fig. 2is a side elevation of a traction car illustrating the contactdevices. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the operatingsolenoid and its con nections. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one ofthe contact boxes. Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section of same.Fig. 6' is a longitudinal section of the switch under control of themotorman for throwing in the current.

1, 1 represents a portion of the main line and 2, 2 a branch line and 3the ordinary switch point pivoted at 4 on the frog 5. The switch point 3is provided with a depending lug 6 secured near the outer pointed end ofthe switch point, which lug extends through a slot 7 in the supportingbase 8 of the frog and down into a box 9. Directly connected to this lugis the rod 10 to which the electromagnetic core 11 of the solenoid isattached.

In order to prevent moisture and water which may accumulate around thesolenoid from affecting the windings, the solenoid is constructed asfollows: The outer casing is constructed of a metal cylinder 12 with anintegral cap or head 13 at one end, and ascrew threaded cap 14 at theother. 15 is a metal tube screw threaded into the cap 13, and passingthrough a smooth opening in the cap 14 lengthwise through the center ofthe case and in this tube 15 the core 11 slides loosely. 16 and 17 arethe two solenoid coils which are wound in opposite directions andseparated by the fiber washer 18, and these coils are then pushed intothe case around the tube 15, the cap 14 screwed on and the washer 19 andnut 20 are then secured on the outer end of the tube 15 so that aperfectly tight water-proof casing is provided for the coils. Thesolenoid is then placed in a box 21, open at its forward end and the boxbrought up against the side of the frog which holds the switching point,and the connection made as above described, so that as the current issent through the coils in one direction or the other, the solenoid coreis moved to swing the switch point from side to side. The three wires22'from the solenoid coils pass through a fiber bushing in the end ofthe box 21. One of the wires is connected with the ground'or rails ofthe track, another wire properly insulated runs to the contact box 26,which is located in the street a proper distance from the switchingpointso that there will be ample time to throw the switch when the caris moving at a fair rate of speed, and the third wire from the solenoidproperly insulated runs to the contact box 27 located on the branch lineat such a distance that as soon as the rear wheels have passed theswitch point, contact may be made with this box. These contact boxes areillustrated in detail in Figs. 4 and 5. The box is a rectangular metalbox 28, of a size about equal to an ordinary paving block, which issecured on the cross tie by the lugs 29, a transverse brace 30 isprovided for the interior of the box to which the lid or cover 31 issecured, the lid being thoroughly insulated from the body of the box bythe fiber washer 32. 33 is the single screw for fastening the lid inplace, the screw being secured to the transverse cross brace 30, andthoroughly insulated by the fiber bushing 34. The wire from thesoleno-id passes into the side of the box through the fiber insulator35, and is connected with the screw 33.

The top surface of the lid is beveled 0ft as shown in F igs. 4 and 5, sothat the lid extends above the surface paving only about an inch andone-half and forms no obstruction whatever in the use of the street.

Secured in a convenient position underneath the body of the car, is ametal spring contact, plate 36, which-extends down nearly to the streetsurface in a position to come in contact with the lid 31-, of thecontact box as the car passes on the track. This contact plate is aboutas wide as the uppersurface of the lid, and is of spring metal so thatit will readily pass by any obstruction in the street. Connection ismade betweenthis contact plate 36, and the bolt 37 mounted in the outerend of the switch lever-38, pivoted on a casting 39 secured underneaththe platform of the car, and the contact bolt 40 mounted in the casting39 is connected by the wire 47 with the line circuit. The bolts 37 and40 are thoroughly insulated by the fiber plugs 41, 42. The other end ofthe lever 38- is hollowed out at 43 to hold the foot pin 44, whichextends through the floor of. the platform within convenient reach ofthe inotorinan so that by stepping on the pin contact is made betweenthe bolts 37 and 40 and the contact plate 36 is brought into thecircuit. As soon as the motorman releases the foot pin 44 the switchpoints separate by gravity. One of these switches. and its connection isprovided for each end of the car.-

In the ordinary running of the car, the contact. plate 36 isdisconnected, but as the car approaches the switch point and the inotornan desires to operate the same, to run oli onthe branch track, hedepresses the foot pin 44 and as soon as contact is made through, theplate 36, with the contact box cover 31, thecircuit is completed throughthe solenoid todraw over the core and thus shift the switch point toopen the branch line. As the car passes on to the branch line,

the motorinan again depresses the foot pin and the contact plate comingin contact with the box the circuit is completed to actuate the solenoidto draw back the core and thus shift the switch pointback to normal.

There is nothing. in the construction above described that can. get outof order or cause trouble. struction in the street, andthey cannot bedamaged or gotten out of order by the street traffic. The actuatingsolenoid is thoroughly water-proof. and even if. the box holding thesolenoid should become full of water, the solenoid will still operate.The solenoid core extending between the sides, a beveled metal lid:with, insulating material between the lid and sides of the box, and acentral screw for securing. the lidto the box brace with insulationbetween the screw and brace and a pivoted switch point and solenoidtooperate same with connection between the contact box screw and thesolenoid coils whereby the solenoid. may be energized through thecontact box.

FRANKLIN RICE. Witnesses JOHN W. K EITZER, EDITH L. FROMM.

Gopjcs of-thjs patent may he ob tained for five cents; each byaidglressing the Commissioner 0! Patents,

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The contact boxes form no ob-

